Mini weekend trip!

This weekend I'm staying with my wonderful twin friends who live about an hour from me. Its best that we don't live close to one another I think, as we severely love cooking, creating, cats and thrifting and would undoubtedly become very large, very broke (but stylish!) cat ladies.

Last weekend they stayed at my place for a night and there was a whole lot if this....

....and then we went for a Sunday morning hike and found this...

  kinda strange and neat. (I may have brought it home to add to the collection... don't worry I clean them ! :)

Anyway, this weekend we have wonderful plans involving mustaches, cameras, and champagne, and I cannot wait to share what comes out of it!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Warmer weather outfits Im really excited for!

Winter is so silly this year, at least in MA. I think if it were to snow now I just wouldn't know what to do with myself. This everlasting "spring tease" has me dreaming of flower buds, warm breezes, vacations and all the new warm weather outfits Ive been itching to wear out.

Like these!

 I found this pink gingham shift at my local thrift store for one dollar! I'm going to pair it with brown tights with pink knee patches....as soon as I find/make them :)

Woven owl necklace was made by my grandmother.

This yellow polka dot skirt! (Savers)

And this MA licence plate tank of a purse.(boutique)

This is perhaps what I am most excited for! My mum found this vintage 50' swimsuit (along with one other) in great condition wrapped in a plastic bag in the very way back of  our familys very old cabin!

Easy and cute DIY teabags using loose leaf tea.

I'm spending this coming weekend with two wonderful friends who share my tea love, so this morning I made them some teabags that look like there scruffy black yellow-eyed kitty Hollace (who is also wonderful)

Now you may think this is a lot of work for just a teabag, but think of all the possibilities!

.... Halloween teabags shaped like pumpkins with pumpkin spice added, Christmas tree teabags with piney aromas added, cupcake teabags, heart teabags, teabags with your face on them...etc.

Also, with loose leaf teas I usually use them for a few cups, every time you add more hot water the leaves loosen up a bit more and the flavors subtly change until its all used up!

All you need : small coffee filters, loose leaf tea, needle & thread, scissors, and whatever you want to use for the tag ( paper cutouts, picture cutouts, felt, etc)

1.Place tea of your choosing in middle of filter.

2. fold in both sides.

3. keep folding in sides (kind of like making a paper air plane) until you have a triangle shape.

4. Thread you needle and tie a knot at the end.

5. place knotted end in the middle of the folds.

6. Fold over the point of you triangle twice to secure the string.

7. secure fold-over with a stitch.

I used a fabric cutout for my tag, so I just sewed little eye stitches and a nose then knotted and cut the thread.

And that's it!

meow meow meooow.

Hope you like em!

-Heather Jean

Dress bars

So a lot of people have these, and I do think mine is really handy sometimes because of my lack of closet space, but sometimes it drives me crazy. Like when one side starts sinking because its too crammed, or when its just kinda stuck in a spot against the wall and looks awkward. Or when Kitty's try try to climb it.(all these things are mostly my fault...I'm just angry at it :) Also its kinda ugly...do you guys have a system, or an idea to "pretty it up?" Where do you put yours so its not awkwardly floating around? I need ideas about wardrobe storage or someday soon they'll find me suffocated under an avalanche of dresses and sweaters.

Ive been lurking about on apatment tharapy too and really like these posts, they are giving me some great inspiration!.....

"When the bedroom becomes the dressing room"

"Dreaming of dressing rooms"

"Hats on display"

'The Boudoir'

My guy was wonderful to let me completely commandeer the largest room in our apartment when we moved in. Its now fondly referred to as "the Boudoir". And while mostly its really just a glorified closet, some days its so much more! Its my craft room, yoga and relaxation room, the room where my friends stay while visiting, my cats favorite room, etc. But sometimes(or always) it suffers the fate of most closets/stuff rooms, which is that when we need to tidy the rest of the place in a hurry......we cram everything in this room and shut the door!

But today I woke up with a purpose, and that was to clean until every dust bunny, stray sock, fur fluff and makeup smear was wiped out with a vengeance!

 Sometimes cleaning the boudoir is like shopping too, so that makes it a little fun. Finding clothing I haven't seen in ages is a wonderful surprise. Usually if i don't see a item of clothing on a daily basis it doesn't exist.... 

The clean will not last long. I know it will not, I've come to terms with that. But Ill enjoy it while its here ;)

Snowshoes

 We spent this past weekend in New Hampshire with some of my family. It was wonderful. Lots of snow (unlike home!) and campfires, and winter fun. I also brought along a few dresses!

Is a vintage orange floorlength halter dress appropriate snowshoeing attire? Well sure! But only for a minute. Its quite chilly.

Meet the new guys!

I raided a box of old cameras that my mum had stored away. She has sooo many! I think its going to be a project of mine to try to get a photo out of each one, some how some way. Many are missing parts, some need fixing, some need film that is no longer available!

But I'm going to start with these little guys.

I dusted them off....then fell in love, hard.

On top is a Brownie Starflex Camera- 1957-1964,

and the bottom one is A Hawkeye Instamatic R4, 1966-1971

And I threw in my great grandmothers watch, because I have an issue with objects being in threes....

I'm excited to see what come of this project!

I sense a whole lot of trial and error...like bunches.

Dresses in the morning light.

I was determined to get up very early today so that I could capture some of that special morning light. And while my morning personality(shes so cranky!) made me sleep in a little longer than planed, I still managed a pretty early start to a very busy day!

 The massive state forest that is down my street has become my new favorite place! Its so beautiful and quiet.

Just popping in for a quick "oh hello". No better start like shedding your non-photogenic puffy coat in very very cold weather! I did have a few other plans picture wise but my batteries kicked it (of course!) and well, I'm just not organized enough to bring along spares. Aint that always the way :) Hope your having a lovely morning!

-Heather Jean

Monday morning coffee

Monday morning blues? Just cant seem to get going? Not mentally awake until about 11?

Well then join me for a cup o' the wakey juice along with the london coffee house crowd!

50's/ 60's style 

Found this lovely via  Bon Appetit this morning.

"You push the button, We do the rest!"

A few weeks ago I was given a Brownie camera by a very kind gentleman. I had brought my own to a class as a prop, but its kinda, well, old and broken. He told me he had one at home that I could have, and I was taken aback that he would give me, a stranger, a lovely old camera. But he did, and I am so very grateful. And with the help of my good friend Nikolai, I now know how to load it properly! So I have been pattering about finishing up the film I cannot wait to develop!

 The large one is my oldie, I bought it at a yard sale. Alas he does not work at the moment, but I'm going to try to fix im!

I'm sorta enjoying this snow-less winter. I like the bareness of it all. The way the light goes through the trees, the dry cold rustling.....also the no shoveling is pretty awesome. 

scent

I wish I were one of those women who always wore the same perfume, so much so that it became there smell. But I'm attracted to pretty bottles and susceptible to mood swings and they need there own scent to go along.

This is, however, one of my favorites.

Absynthe by Christian Lacroix.

It makes me feel vaguely poisonous when I put it on. I love it.

I think the idea of having a signature smell is wonderful, and I have tried to stick to one...but just can not.

Not when there are so many lovely bottles to display on my dresser, even if some of them are a little dusty-ish :)

A study in bangs: Partie deux!

So I woke up to my fringe sticking straight up, literally straight up, and decided that today would be a good day to attempt an Audrey-like bang. 

(On a different note, doesn't this little ballerina look like He-Man in a tutu!?!)

 I just used my straightener in a kind of up and under motion to add some voom and at the same time kinda shorten them. Then sprayed the underneath part and back combed the roots a little then smoothed the top. 

Brushed my eyebrows up + lots o' mascara....didnt cover my under-eye circles because Audrey had those too, and I think they gave her that vulnerable and lovely deep look.

And then I drank some delicious coffee....

....look at this adorable picture!

^Photo by Mark Shaw

Rodeo girls

 I met up with a few good friend the other night. While searching for a last call we stopped in a bar that had these photos stuck on a mirror. I couldn't resist snapping a few pics! 

I really like this one!